Outlet-box.



'1 G. BULLETS.

OUTEET BOX. APPLIOATIOK FILED APB. 24.1907.

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GEORGE PULLETS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

OUTLET-BOX.

Snecication of Letters Patent.

Patented March 1G, 1909.

Application filed April 24, 1907. Serial No. 369,895.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE PULLETS, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Outlet- Boxes, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rhis invention relates to outlet boxes for use in wiring buildings for electric lighting and other purposes, and particularlyT to means for illing in the space between the box and the surface of the wall or woodwork in or behind which the box is placed, and the object thereof is to provide an improved adjustable device of this class by means of which the said space may be filled in so as to prevent sparks from reaching the woodwork around the box.

In work of the class specified, the distance between the box and the surface of the wall or woodwork in or behind which the box is placed varies and by reason of this fact an opening or space of greater or less dimensions is formed between the box and the face or finishing plate which is secured to the wall or woodwork in or behind which the box is placed and through which the contact plug is passed in order to make connection with the wire attaching block which is placed in said box, but by means of my improvement the said space or opening may be completely closed by meansof a device which is made adjustable to correspond with the varying dimensions of the said space or opening.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure l is a sectional view of a part of a wall of a room or compartment and showing an outlet box placed therein, a face or finishing plate secured to the wall and showing my improvement applied, the outlet box, the face or finishing plate and the improvement being shown in section; Fig. 2 a plan view of my said improvement; Fig. 3 a side view thereof; Fig. 4 a view similar to Fig. 2, but

showing a modification and, Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modication.

In the drawing forming part of this specification, I have shown at a a part of a wall of a room or compartment in a building, and at l) an ordinary outlet box in which, in practice, an electric wire attaching block is placed and said box, in the form of construction shown, is provided with the usual forwardly directed member b2 having an inwardly directed Flange or rim b3 forming a central opening b through which, in practice, the ordinary wire plug is passed in order to make electrical connection with the wire attaching block which is placed in the box 1;; and at c I have shown the usual face or wall plate which is connected with the flange or rim b3 of the part Z22 of the box I) by screws c2, and said face or wall plate is provided with the usual doors c3 which may be opened and closed in the usual manner. In work of this class there is always a space d between the part o2 of the box b and the face plate c of greater or less dimensions according to the thickness of the plaster and the' lath to which the plaster is applied, or the thickness of the woodwork in or behind which the box l) is placed, and in the practice of my invention, I provide means for filling in this space which consists, in the form of construction shown, in Figs. l to 3 inclusive, of a spirally formed device e which is also preferably rectangular inform to correspond with the usual form of the box l) or the part t2 thereof.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive, my improvement is coinposed of two separately formed spirai strips e2 and e3, the first of which begins at c4 and terminates c5 and the second of which begins at e and terminates at c7, and as thus formed, it will be seen that my said improvement consists of double spiral strips the coils of one of which overlap and lit within the coils of the other, and, in practice, the said device is made so that the separate coils thereof closely fit each other, and when the said device is placed in position as shown in Fig. l and the plate c also secured in position, one side of the said device will press on the box l), or the part b2 thereof, and the other will press on said plate, and the coils of the said device will be forced together and the space d will be completely closed. The end coils of the spacing or space closing device c, in the construction shown in the drawing, are provided with inwardly directed ears es which are secured thereto in any desired manner and through which the screws c2 are passed, and these ears aid in holding the said spacing or space closing device c in proper position, but the said ears are not an essential element oi my construction and may or may not be employed, as it is evident that when the plate c presses on the outer coil or coils of the said spacing or space closing device, the inner coil or coils will press on the box l), or the part b2 thereof. and the screws c2 will prevent any considerable lateral movement ofthe said device.

In Fig. 4, l have shown a modification in which the said spacing or space closing device e is composed of a single coil or strip one end of which is at e9 and the other end of which is at c1", and the operation of this form olt construction will be substantially the same as that of the construction shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive, but by employing two of the spiral coils for forming the said spacing or space closing device l provide an additional safeguard against tie passage of sparks through the said spacing or space closing device. The general form of my improved spacing or space closing device in both forms of construction shown is rectangular, but it will be apparent that the same may be made circular or elliptical in form, if desired, and in addition to preventing the passage of sparks into the wall, the said spacing or space closing device also prevents the passage of dust or dirt into the box b as will be readily understood. ln the form of construction shown, it will also be seen that the ends of the coils from which the said spacing or space closing device is formed are at the ends of said device, but the ends of said coils may be at the sides of the said device if desired, and, in practice, the strips from which the said coils are iormedare made of sui'licient transverse width so that when in use the separate coils of the device will never be separated but overlap each other at all times as clearly shown in Fig. l and indicated in Fig, 3.

ln Fig. 5, l have shown a modiiication in which the spacing or space closing device is shown as circular in form, and the ears es project outwardly instead of inwardly, and w iile I have described my improvement as applied to outlet boxes, it will be apparent that the same may also be applied to switch boxes and other electrical apparatus of this class.

, Having fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z- 1. A spacing or space closing element for use between an electric outlet box and a face or finishing plate secured to a wall in or behind which the box is placed, consisting of spirally coiled elastic flat material, such construction providing that the coils shall it and be movable upon the surfaces of adjacent coils, substantially as described.

2. A spacing or space closing element for use between an electric wire outlet box and a fac-e or iinishing plate secured to a wall construction in or behind which the box is placed, consisting` of a spirally coiled device formed from 'l'lexible strips of elastic material in such manner that the iiat surfaces of the successive inner coils iit upon and are movable on the adjacent surfaces of the corresponding outer coils.

3. A spacing or space closing element for use between an electric wire outlet box and a face or 'finishing plate secured to a wall construction in or behind which theD box is placed, consisting of a spirally coiled device formed from ilexible strips of spring metal, the separate coils of which are movable one within another toward and from the face or iinishing plate.

4.. A spacing or space closing element for use between an electric wire outlet box and a face or iinishing plate secured to a wall construction in or behind which the box is placed7 consisting of a spirally coiled device formed from flexible strips of spring metal, the separate coils of which are movable one within another toward and from the face or 'Finishing plate, the coils of the device being provided at opposite points with ears through which the screws which secure the face plate in position are assed.

5. A spacing or space cilosing element for use between an electric outlet box and a face or iinishing plate secured to a wall, in or behind which the box is placed, consisting of a spring formed of coiled resilient iiat material having the edges of the coils facing the face plate and the box, substantially as described.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as my invention l have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 22nd day of April 1907.

GEORGE PULLETS. 

